Graco expands recall to include 1.9 million infant car seats

Under pressure from U.S. safety regulators, Graco Children's Products Inc. is recalling 1.9 million infant car seats in what is now the largest seat recall in American history.

Graco announced the recall this week, ending a five-month battle between the company and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over claims of a faulty buckle that can make it difficult to free a child during an emergency.

In a report posted on the safety agency's website, Graco outlined its decision to recall the additional seats after further investigation revealed a "higher-than-typical level of difficulty" in unlatching the buckle.

Earlier this year, Graco recalled 4.2 million toddler seats for similar reasons, but denied that the buckle would be a safety issue for the infant car seats because the seat had a different design.

Safety regulators disagreed, arguing that "the hazards and risks involved in the delay of extricating a child from a rear-facing infant car seat in any emergency situation are significantly increased and rise to the level of unreasonable risk when the harness buckle is difficult to open or is stuck in a latched condition."

NHTSA cited reports of parents having to cut the harness of their car seats because of faulty buckles.